MLB insider linked 2 other free agents to Pirates before Ryan O'Hearn deal

Here’s the thing about being a Pittsburgh Pirates fan in this strange, hopeful new world: when an MLB insider casually links you to three legitimate middle-of-the-order bats, you almost don’t know what to do with your hands.

That’s what happened when FanSided's Robert Murray went on the Foul Territory podcast and laid out the options on Pittsburgh’s offseason shopping list like it was the menu at Primanti Bros.

“You spend on [Kazuma] Okamoto. You go after Ryan O’Hearn. Or you try to get a guy like Marcell Ozuna. To me, all three of those guys are on the table in Pittsburgh.”

Three routes. Three real bats. Three real investments. And guess what? One of those roads already led to Pittsburgh.

O’Hearn is locked in. He lengthens the lineup. He gives Paul Skenes and company something resembling real run support. He fits what Pittsburgh is building.

But Murray didn’t sound like the Pirates were done –– not even close, actually –– which brings us to the other two names: Okamoto and Ozuna. And if the Pirates are going back to that aisle? There shouldn't be any debate. It's Okamoto by about nine light-years.

Insider linked Pirates to Kazuma Okamoto, Marcell Ozuna prior to Ryan O'Hearn signing

Okamoto is the fit for a rising contender — not a rental thunderstick. He’s 29. He hits for power. He plays the infield. He’s captained championship teams in Japan. He fits a young core that’s already here in Pittsburgh. He doesn’t clog the DH spot forever, he doesn’t limit flexibility, and he doesn’t create roster geometry problems. In fact, he solves them.

Okamoto fits Ben Cherington’s obsession with “options and pathways.” He fits the competitive window, and he fits the culture. He also fits PNC Park beautifully. Launch angles love that Clemente Wall.

And make no mistake — Okamoto isn’t some mystery lottery ticket. Teams across MLB view him as a middle-order bat from Day 1. This isn’t an experiment. It’s an import with receipts.

Now, let’s talk Ozuna. Is the bat legit? Yes. Does he crush baseballs? Also yes. But...

He’s 35, he’s a full-time DH, he blocks at-bats for younger players, and his defense is — how do we say — “no longer admissible in public areas.” There's also the off-field history that simply does not align with the tone of this clubhouse or this city.

The Pirates are building something deliberate. Something intentional. Something that — for the first time in a long time — feels proud and sustainable. Bringing in Ozuna would feel like bolting a nitrous button onto a Tesla. Flashy. Loud. But totally mismatched with the vehicle you’re building.

This team no longer needs chaos energy to be relevant. They need layers, stability and winning infrastructure. That's Okamoto.

Signing O’Hearn didn’t close the door. If anything, it cracked it open wider. Because now the Pirates don’t need another bat –– they can go shopping for the right one.

If the Pirates land Okamoto, they send a message to the rest of the league that Pittsburgh is no longer a place where hitters go to fade out. It’s a place you go to win — with pitching that backs you up.

Skenes makes you relevant. O’Hearn makes you somewhat respectable. Okamoto would make you an actual threat.